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How apps like Snapchat are rewriting the rules of sport

Last November, New York-based sports and media company IMG issued its annual Digital Trends Report, which explores the technologies and developments likely to shape the sports media landscape over the following 12 months. “The power of sports and creators, combined with social media, is a big opportunity to grab,” says Ellie Hooper, head of client […]

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How apps like Snapchat are rewriting the rules of sport

Last November, New York-based sports and media company IMG issued its annual Digital Trends Report, which explores the technologies and developments likely to shape the sports media landscape over the following 12 months.
“The power of sports and creators, combined with social media, is a big opportunity to grab,” says Ellie Hooper, head of client at Goat. “We know that the power of influencer marketing comes from the voice of the creator which people have chosen to trust.
WBD’s multi-regional coverage of the Olympics saw it offer not just official highlights but also double down on exclusive behind-the-scenes content, wacky must-see moments and a focus on the “showbiz side of the games” from the perspective of athletes, celebrities and fans.
Gen Z and younger viewers are using social media to interact with their teams
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There’s this myth that younger audiences are not interested in sports. That belief has now been debunked. Younger viewers are just consuming sports content in a different way.

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There’s this myth that younger audiences are not interested in sports. That belief has now been debunked. Younger viewers are just consuming sports content in a different way.

With almost 4.9 billion people – 60% of the global population – owning sophisticated cell phones enabling instant access to the internet and social media apps, the living room TV no longer dominates the way in which viewers engage with that weekend’s big Premier League match or mass audience events like the Olympics.
The enhancement also gave Channel 4’s advertising partners an opportunity to reach sports fans, with commercial branding in and around what users see onscreen.
“Snapchat is in the business of making money, so we have to monetise our content,” he tells C21. “We serve video ads in there and we revenue share with our partners, whether that’s publishers or creators.
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“The power of sports and creators, combined with social media, is a big opportunity to grab. We know that the power of influencer marketing comes from the voice of the creator which people have chosen to trust.
As social media apps transform how audiences consume sports content, C21 examines how Snapchat works with broadcasters, rights holders, brands and creators to monetise this paradigm shift.

“In the sports industry, there’s always the challenge of its historical need for immediate money in the bank, but the longer-term play is to think of it more as building enduring relationships with audiences. Once you make a Snapchat user a fan of golf or whatever, they’re going to be lifelong fans.

“Adam Hill playing with the AR lenses was an amazing moment of linear TV royalty and social media innovation coming together,” Harbinson tells C21. “That gamification element really took off and we had five million users during the games. We see Snapchat more and more not just as a broadcast platform but as a community builder.
With the all-too-familiar media mantra of ‘adapt or die’ ringing in the ears of legacy media execs, now is the time to harness the power of social media and shortform content before millions more viewers continue the inexorable migration away from terrestrial TV and streaming, never to return.
Those combined factors make Snapchat an attractive partner for agencies looking to bring brands, creators and influencers to the table.
During 2022, more than 285 million Snapchatters used its FIFA World Cup AR lenses so they could see themselves in the official shirts of their favourite national football team.
Before we drill into the ways in which Snap leverages and monetises that engagement with Gen Z, let’s first look at some research that helps to contextualise the rapidly shifting area of sports content consumption.

The same survey by Snap indicates that 55% of respondents believe that the way we consume sports has evolved drastically over the past decade. While older die-hard sports fans are fiercely loyal to just one team or favourite athlete, younger social-savvy consumers are less exclusive and more likely to find their way into sports through adjacent cultures, such as fashion, influencers, creators and brands.

Last summer, Channel 4 debuted ‘Snap-first’ programming from the Paralympics on the platform. The partnership aligned with the broadcaster’s Future4 strategy to prioritise digital growth over linear ratings. Content was delivered by Channel 4’s Leeds-based digital-focused 4Studio, while Snapchat and the pubcaster’s commercial team, 4Sales, shared sales rights on the shows.
With such exhaustive coverage of the summer’s major sporting spectacles on Snapchat, it’s no surprise that 65% of Gen Z users say that their interest in sports has grown in the past year.
This article is based in part on interviews and sessions from Content London 2024.

Snap’s Summer of Sports campaign also saw broadcasters such as NBCUniversal (NBCU) and Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) make highlights from their Olympics and Paralympics coverage available through the platform. Arcadia, Snapchat’s AR Studio, partnered with NBCU to offer AR experiences to Snapchatters. The tie-in also offered real-time stats and introduced users to Team USA athletes and their Bitmojis (personalised Snapchat emojis).
Macaulay says that Snapchat offers both short- and long-term return on investment for producers, broadcasters, brands and creators.
There are two different types. The first, facial lenses, have technology that allows transformation of the user’s face. They can enable Snapchatters to engage with brands by ‘trying on’ make-up, jewellery and clothes. The second, world lenses, appear on the external camera and enable users to interact with 3D objects superimposed on the environment around them. They also allow product features to be displayed through the camera.
Luke Whalley
Senior director of international digital ad sales
WBD Sports Europe
Joe Harbinson
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If you’re a sports industry executive reading this and becoming equal parts excited and terrified, great. This is the correct response.

“The sports industry knows it cannot fight against this audience trend, so in 2025 it will start to adapt to it – or it will lose ground to other forms of entertainment which do.”

“Sports dominate the big screen, but our phones dominate our attention. The trend we will see in 2025 is for sports to abandon the notion of ‘first screen’ and ‘second screen’ and put more emphasis into winning the battle for both screens at the same time.
“The Snapchat sports experience is very different to other platforms,” says Snap’s Macaulay. “There’s a much more fluid fandom around athletes, personalities, style and fashion that comes to life on the platform.

The report says: “Nothing is more sought-after by broadcasters than sports rights, but televisions are no longer anyone’s primary viewing platform. Smartphones have that crown.
Joe Harbinson
Distribution and partnerships senior lead
Channel 4
During 2024, Snap ramped up partnerships with broadcasters and sports organisations to optimise a year packed full of major events, including the Summer Olympics and Paralympics in Paris, as well as the UEFA European Football Championship, hosted by Germany.
“That [strategy] means putting content where viewers want to see it and tailoring it to the audiences on those platforms. Our Paralympics coverage was a great example of how we did this.
Rak Patel this month starts his new role as Channel 4’s chief commercial officer. Heading the sales division, one of his key challenges is to expand into new areas of digital growth. Harbinson believes leveraging the power of social media apps like Snapchat, combined with branded content initiatives, will help the pubcaster diversify its revenue streams.
“There are brands now acting as commissioners and going out there to engage with production companies. Bringing brilliant UK creative talent to brands is a very authentic way to bring content to social channels and online platforms.”

Lewis Wiltshire

“Our partnership with Snapchat complements the storytelling on our own platforms, helping to connect millions of new fans with inspiring athletes, unmissable sporting moments and exclusive behind-the-scenes content that we know audiences new and old love.”
Technology is revolutionising sports, but we’re not talking about soccer’s highly divisive Video Assisted Refereeing, or the Hawk-Eye computer vision system commonly used in tennis and cricket. Instead, the smart phone is transforming the way in which audiences consume sports content.
Kahlen Macaulay
As part of Channel 4’s 2024 Paralympics coverage, the broadcaster’s Snapchat profile used the feature to let users try out multiple events through the AR lenses, with venues and sporting equipment overlaid on to the real world. Adam Hills, host of C4 chatshow The Last Leg, joined in the fun by trying his hand at disciplines such as archery and athletics.
Luke Whalley
The IMG report indicates they face a battle to command viewer focus, as audiences become more preoccupied with consuming shortform sports content on social media platforms such as Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook and Instagram.
Founded in 2015, London-based The Goat Agency claims to be the world’s leading influencer marketing agency, delivering social-first marketing strategies and data-driven influencer campaigns for clients including UEFA, Formula E and Major League Baseball.
UK commercial pubcaster Channel 4 has been a close collaborator with Snap since 2018, when it was launched shows on Discover, Snapchat’s curated content platform. Shortform clips of Channel 4’s most popular programmes such as First Dates, Married at First Sight UK and Hollyoaks were made available via the platform.

“We have a dedicated social sales team, which is out there landing TV inventory deals, and that has now been folded under our streaming division, so we’re now selling linear, streaming and social ads as one package,” Harbinson says. “It’s become a full service.

“We have a really holistic way of working with all social platforms, Snapchat included,” says Joe Harbinson, distribution and partnerships senior lead at Channel 4. “Our Fast Forward strategy is supercharging our digital transformation on the way to becoming a digital-first streamer. By 2030, it’s our goal for half of our revenues to be from digital and we’re well on target for that.
“With Snap specifically, we wanted to make sure we did something quite different, which led to bringing our viewers and Snapchatters into the Paralympics with a very Channel 4 project using AR lenses.”

According to Snapchat’s Macaulay, a certain degree of complacency has contributed to the sports industry being somewhat slow to catch on to the trend for shortform.
Ellie Hooper
Beyond the Olympics, a weekly sports show was launched on Snapchat, localised for France and the UK, which showcases the best sporting content from the WBD portfolio including the biggest tennis, football and combat sports competitions.
It predicted that the household TV set will lose its crown to smartphones as the first screen through which viewers will consume sports content in 2025. The report suggests viewers’ phones will instead dominate their attention – a forecast that will come as bad news to the broadcast and streaming giants that are spending billions on securing live sports rights.
Lewis Wiltshire
Senior VP and managing director, digital
IMG
“Next to that we have an effective sponsorship partnership and branded content team under Four Studio, which is working closely with creatives and agencies.

Kahlen Macaulay
Senior manager of international sports partnerships
Snap Inc

“Brands understand the lifetime value of fans and consumers. That philosophy creates revenue opportunities far into the future.”
Tapping into this paradigm shift can be daunting for broadcasters and producers from the legacy TV industry, but the rewards are potentially lucrative. By working with social media platforms, brands and creators, TV executives can tap directly into one of the most evasive demographics in the entertainment business.
“
Our partnership with Snapchat complements the storytelling on our own platforms, helping to connect millions of new fans with inspiring athletes, unmissable sporting moments and exclusive behind-the-scenes content.
Now, the proliferation of social media apps and video-sharing platforms means that they have become less of a temporary distraction and more of a first-choice portal for viewers who want to engage with their favourite athletes and teams.

“Shortform content is now a primary way that many fans engage with sports, and rights holders must tap into its media and sponsorship value,” says Daniel Kirschner, co-founder and CEO of LA-headquartered Greenfly, a provider of shortform media software platforms for over 500 sports teams and 40 leagues around the world.
“If you’re a sports industry executive reading this and becoming equal parts excited and terrified, great. This is the correct response,” says Lewis Wiltshire, senior VP and managing director, digital, at IMG.
“There’s direct monetisation through our revenue share programmes, then there’s the brand pieces where you can bring commercial partners into content and monetise that.
“So, there’s a standard format that exists which is obviously more lucrative in different markets, depending on where our footprint is. For example, we’re absolutely massive in France, while in the UK 22 million people use the app. That’s a huge opportunity.
“In terms of content, the Snapchat app opens directly into a camera – encouraging users to create content. So it’s set up for creatives.”
“We work with organisations such as the International Olympic Committee, the Union of European Football Associations [UEFA] and the International Paralympic Committee to help them reach our young audience.
“There’s this myth that younger audiences are not interested in sports,” says Kahlen Macaulay, senior manager of international sports partnerships at US-based Snap Inc, parent company of social media app Snapchat. “That belief has now been debunked. Younger viewers are just consuming sports content in a different way, on their own terms as opposed to sitting down and watching a full two- or three-hour live sports broadcast. They’re instead consuming sports via shortform content.

“
With Snap specifically, we wanted to make sure we did something quite different, which led to bringing our viewers and Snapchatters into the Paralympics with a very Channel 4 project using AR lenses.

“Traditionally, sport hasn’t had to evolve and be progressive because they already sell out the seating and tickets as well as the sponsorship and broadcast rights, so why should they care?” he says. “Historically, sport has extracted value in the immediacy without forming relationships. But there are many more valuable and long-term revenue opportunities.”
“He got around 76 million views on social media while combined content from the actual PGA tour only got a million,” says Hooper. “That’s the power of influencers.”
By way of example, Hooper points to Bryson DeChambeau, who has been labelled “the MrBeast of golf,” due to his popularity on social media. The two-time Majors winner has almost 1.7 million subscribers on YouTube and went viral recently while attempting to make a hole-in-one by whacking a ball over the roof of his house into the back yard.
“There’s a paradigm shift in viewing habits right now and the way that Snap is leaning into that is unique.”
Ellie Hooper
Head of client
Goat
Luke Whalley, senior director of international digital ad sales at WBD Sports Europe, says: “Our all-platform approach to distributing world-class coverage of the biggest events in the sporting calendar and telling the stories of the athletes competing is how we engage the widest possible international audience.

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Track student-athletes sweep Kwik Star monthly honors for May/June

Story Links SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Kansas City’s Tory Lanham and North Dakota’s Kenna Curry were named the Kwik Star Peak Performers of the Month for May and June, the League announced Thursday. North Dakota State’s Zack Ramos and South Dakota’s Anna Willis claimed Kwik Star Peak Newcomer of the Month honors following […]

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SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Kansas City’s Tory Lanham and North Dakota’s Kenna Curry were named the Kwik Star Peak Performers of the Month for May and June, the League announced Thursday. North Dakota State’s Zack Ramos and South Dakota’s Anna Willis claimed Kwik Star Peak Newcomer of the Month honors following standout efforts in track and field.

Lanham was voted the Summit League Championship Men’s Most Outstanding Performer after winning the 200 meters (20.52 seconds), the 4×400 relay (3:12.04), and helping the 4×100 relay squad finish second with a time of 40.46.

 

He earned second-team All-America honors after placing 13th in the 200m at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, clocking 20.52 in the semifinal. 

 

The Roo sophomore broke the Kansas City school record at the NCAA West Preliminaries when he sprinted the 200m in 20.33 seconds to take ninth and qualify for the NCAA Championship.

 

The Kansas City, Mo., native became the first Roo in program history to earn All-America honors in the 200m and the first Kansas City men’s athlete to compete at the NCAA Outdoor Championships since 2016.

 

Curry was voted the Summit League Outdoor Field MVP on the women’s side after winning the hammer throw with a meet record toss of 223-1 (69.01m), the shot put (51-6.25; 15.70m) and taking second in the discus with a mark of 163-7 (49.86m).    

 

The Elk Point, S.D., product advanced to the NCAA West Prelims in all three events and placed 10th in the hammer (208-2; 63.44m) to qualify for nationals. She went on to earn first-team All-America honors with a program-record throw of 223-7 (68.16m) to place seventh at the NCAA Championships.

 

She becomes just the second first-team All-American in North Dakota’s Division I history.

Ramos was named the Summit League Outdoor Championships Men’s Field MVP after capturing titles in the discus and shot put. The Caldwell, Idaho, native opened with a personal-best throw of 182-4 (55.57m) in the discus to win the event by three feet, then secured the shot put title with a mark of 58-2 (17.73m) on his fifth attempt, edging out the runner-up by just 1.5 inches.

He qualified for the NCAA West Preliminary in the shot put and placed 19th with a throw of 60-0.5 (18.30m), narrowly missing advancement to the national meet.

Willis continued a standout freshman campaign by earning first-team All-America honors in the pole vault. The Colorado Springs, Colo., native placed fourth at the NCAA Championships with a clearance of 14-6.75 (4.44m).

 

She set a personal best of 14-10 (4.52m) at the Summit League Outdoor Championships to earn runner-up honors and All-Summit recognition. Willis also placed third at the NCAA West Preliminaries (14-6; 4.42m) to advance to the national meet.

FEMALE KWIK STAR PEAK PERFORMER OF THE MONTH

Kenna Curry, North Dakota

Gr. | Women’s Track and Field | Elk Point, S.D.

  • First-team All-American in the hammer throw.

  • Summit League Outdoor Championships Field MVP.

  • Won the hammer throw and shot put; runner-up in discus.

  • Placed seventh at NCAA Championships with school-record toss of 223-7.

  • Second career Summit League monthly honor.

Also nominated: Arienne Birch (North Dakota State); Sara Reifenrath (South Dakota)

MALE KWIK STAR PEAK PERFORMER OF THE MONTH

Tory Lanham, Kansas City

So. | Men’s Track and Field| Kansas City, Mo. 

  • Second-team All-American in the 200m.

  • Summit League Outdoor Championship Most Outstanding Performer.

  • Placed 13th at NCAA Championships in 200m (20.52).

  • First career Summit League monthly accolade.

Also nominated: Sam Roller (North Dakota State);  Ben Weber (Omaha); Abraham Chelangam (Oral Roberts); Tre Young (South Dakota); Cody Larson (South Dakota State); Joe Vos (St. Thomas).

FEMALE KWIK STAR PEAK NEWCOMER OF THE MONTH

Anna Willis, South Dakota

Fr. | Women’s Track and Field | Colorado Springs, Colo.

  • First-team All-American in the pole vault.

  • Finished fourth at NCAA Championships (14-6.75; 4.44m).

  • Set a personal best of 14-10 (4.52m) at Summit League meet.

  • Second career Summit League monthly honor.

Also nominated: Paige Renschler (North Dakota State)

MALE KWIK STAR PEAK NEWCOMER OF THE MONTH

Zack Ramos, North Dakota State

Sr. | Men’s Track and Field | Caldwell, Idaho

  • Summit League Outdoor Championships Field MVP.

  • Won shot put and discus titles at league meet.

  • Placed 19th in the shot put at NCAA West Prelims.

  • First career Summit League monthly accolade.

Also nominated: Ethan Thomas (North Dakota); Jaden Damiano (South Dakota) 

2024-25 Peak Performers of the Month

September

Female: Sidney Schetnan, South Dakota State

Male: Sam Bassett, Denver

October

Female: Sylvie Zgonc, South Dakota State

Male: Sam Bassett, Denver

November

Female: Lauren Galvin, St. Thomas

Male: Oscar Cluff, South Dakota State

December

Female: Jalei Oglesby, Oral Roberts

Male: Jacksen Moni, North Dakota State

January

Female: Grace Larkins, South Dakota

Male: Marquel Sutton, Omaha

February

Female: Jadyn Keeler, North Dakota

Male: Marquel Sutton, Omaha

 

March

Female: Maddia Groff, Omaha

Male: Leandro Zgraggen, North Dakota

 

April

Female: Kenna Curry, North Dakota

Male: Cody Larson, South Dakota State

 

May/June

Female: Kenna Curry, North Dakota

Male: Tory Lanham, Kansas City

2024-25 Peak Newcomers of the Month

September

Female: Madison Burr, South Dakota State

Male: Omar Mora, Oral Roberts

October

Female: Madison Russman, North Dakota State

Male: Abraham Chelangam, Oral Roberts

November

Female: Lauren Medeck, South Dakota

Male: Keegan Kelly, Denver

December

Female: Ja Harvey, Omaha

Male: Ethan Thomas, North Dakota

January

Female: Jocelyn Schiller, North Dakota

Male: Oscar Cluff, South Dakota State

February

Female: Emily DiProspero, South Dakota

Male: Nick Keuser, South Dakota State

 

March

Female: Ella McGee, South Dakota

Male: Dante Smith, North Dakota State

April

Female: Anna Willis,  South Dakota

Male: Caleb Rivera, South Dakota 

 

May/June

Female: Anna Willis,  South Dakota

Male: Zack Ramos, North Dakota State

#ReachTheSummit

 





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Volleyball Announces 2025 Schedule, Season Tickets Now on Sale

Story Links FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (June 18, 2025) – Northern Arizona volleyball is geared up for a competitive 2025 campaign, unveiling a full slate of non-conference challenges and Big Sky matchups. With 10 home matches at Rolle Activity Center, including the annual Lumberjack Classic, fans can look forward to a strong home-court […]

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FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (June 18, 2025) – Northern Arizona volleyball is geared up for a competitive 2025 campaign, unveiling a full slate of non-conference challenges and Big Sky matchups. With 10 home matches at Rolle Activity Center, including the annual Lumberjack Classic, fans can look forward to a strong home-court presence this fall. Season tickets are now on sale.

“I’m very excited about this team,” head coach Ken Murphy said. “We grew so much during the offseason in terms of skill, leadership and understanding what we will need to do to take a big step forward as a team. We’ve also added five newcomers to a team that has three players coming off redshirt years, so we will have a new look. With that in mind, we put together a non-conference schedule with more matches and a greater variety of teams to allow our team to grow its identity and really be prepared for the Big Sky schedule.”

The Lumberjacks will open their season at the Lobo Invitational from Aug. 29-30 in Albuquerque, N.M., facing Houston Christian and New Mexico on opening night before going toe-to-toe with Manhattan. The Lobos visited Flagstaff last year for a five-set thriller, with Northern Arizona ultimately taking the victory 3-2.

NAU then heads to Phoenix for the GCU Invitational from Sept. 5-7, where they’ll battle Washington State, East Texas A&M, and host and in-state rival, Grand Canyon.

The Lumberjacks return to Flagstaff for the Lumberjack Classic from Sept. 11-13, hosting a trio of matches including battles against familiar rivals, UC San Diego, Southern Utah, and Big 12 foe Texas Tech. The six-match event will give fans a first look at this year’s team on home court in Rolle Activity Center.

NAU will face seven Big Sky teams twice: Idaho, Idaho State, Montana, Montana State, Portland State, Sacramento State, and Northern Colorado, while playing Eastern Washington and Weber State once.

Conference play begins on Sept. 25 when the Lumberjacks host Idaho. They then travel for three straight games at Idaho State (Sept. 27), Montana State (Oct. 2), and Montana (Oct. 4).

NAU will play two home games against Portland State on Oct. 9 and Sacramento State Oct.11 when they return to Flagstaff. After that, the team travels once more to play Eastern Washington on Oct. 16 and Idaho on Oct. 18.

The team returns home to host Northern Colorado on Oct. 24 before stepping out of conference briefly to face Utah Tech on the road on Oct. 28. Last year, NAU secured back-to-back wins over the Trailblazers, earning a 3-0 sweep on the road in St. George and edging out a 3-2 victory at home in a five-set battle.

The ‘Jacks close out October and start November with a four-match stretch, beginning at home against Montana (Oct. 30) and Montana State (Nov. 1), followed by road trips to Sacramento State (Nov. 6) and Portland State (Nov. 8). They return to Flagstaff for their final homestand, hosting Weber State on Nov. 13 and celebrating Senior Night against Idaho State on Nov. 15.

Regular season wraps up with a high-stakes road matchup at Northern Colorado on Nov. 21. UNC is the defending Big Sky regular-season champion and will host the conference’s postseason tournament from Nov. 24-26.

Season tickets can be purchased here, and the full schedule can be found here.

Stay up to date with the Northern Arizona women’s volleyball team by following on Instagram, X and Facebook.





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Rocko’s High Fives: June 2025

Story Links June is always a month of celebration—and this year was no exception. From graduation to the Aggie Awards, our endowment dinner, and honoring this year’s sport award recipients, we’ve closed out the academic year with incredible moments that reflect the spirit and strength of our community. A special shoutout to […]

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June is always a month of celebration—and this year was no exception. From graduation to the Aggie Awards, our endowment dinner, and honoring this year’s sport award recipients, we’ve closed out the academic year with incredible moments that reflect the spirit and strength of our community. A special shoutout to our outstanding Aggie ASUCD Fellows, whose leadership continues to elevate the student-athlete experience across our programs. Go Ags!” – Rocko DeLuca, Director of Athletics
 
1) Student-Athlete Spotlight | 2025 Aggie Awards
 
UC Davis Athletics celebrated its student athletes with the annual Aggie Awards, and for the second-straight year the celebration was held on the floor of the University Credit Union Center.
 
A total of 12 awards, six departmental and six voted on by the student athletes themselves, were given out on Sunday evening.
 
“SAAC was thrilled to host the second annual Aggie Awards to celebrate the incredible accomplishments from our athletes this year,” said senior Student-Athlete Advisory Committee President Kayla Wolfe (equestrian). “It is always so special to have our athletes recognized for their passion, pride, and dedication to the sport and Aggie community. 
 
“Being a part of SAAC and Athletics has given me some of the most meaningful moments at UC Davis. As my time with SAAC comes to an end, I am so grateful for our amazing executives, staff, and athletes for building such a strong community and constantly raising the bar!”
 
The University Credit Union was once again transformed into a proper awards venue, complete with a “blue carpet” for fit checks, a 360-selfie booth and a large center stage to show case the many Aggie talents.
 


AWARD WINNERS –
Sarah Sumpter Perseverance Award: Kylie Jacobson (Equestrian)
Marya Welch Award (Highest Women’s Team GPA): Women’s Water Polo
Lysle Leach Award (Highest Men’s Team GPA): Men’s Basketball
W.P. Lindley Award (Top Scholar Athlete): Niko Rocak (Men’s Basketball)
Dr. Hubert Heitman Award (Female Athlete of the Year): Sam Tristan (Women’s Soccer)
Colby E. “Babe” Slate Award (Male Athlete of the Year): Lan Larison (Football)
 
STUDENT ATHLETE AWARDS –
New Aggie of the Year: Ximena Cordero Barr (Volleyball)
Aggie Pride: Brody Crouch (Men’s Water Polo)
Best Upset of the Year: Women’s Soccer vs. LSU
Best Moment of the Year: Cason Goodman’s goal against UC Santa Barbara (MSOC)
Women’s Team of the Year: Gymnastics
Men’s Team of the Year: Men’s Soccer
 
2) Stand Up Staff | Thank You Fellows

Kami Brewer-Pozzi: Proud 2023 UC Davis alumni Kami Brewer-Pozzi initially joined UC Davis athletics as a marketing intern before being offered her fellowship position in Ticket Operations. “Kami was instrumental not only in helping us achieve record setting numbers this year but was more importantly an unbelievable leader for our student workers and set a precedent for creating our positive office culture” praised Director of Marketing, Ticketing and Strategy Jack Keys. Leveling up inside the campus network, Brewer-Pozzi accepted a role with the Cal Aggie Alumni Association as a Constituent Engagement Support Specialist early in 2025.  

 

Alex Segovia: Alex Segovia found a love for the hustle in the sports industry while obtaining his master’s degree in Sport Management. Putting his knowledge to work right away, he joined UC Davis as a Ticket Sales fellow to launch his post-graduate career. “Alex made tremendous strides in his sales skills using this opportunity to take the next step in his career,” said Keys. “His efforts helped us connect with the Davis community.” In March of 2025, Segovia took a position with the San Jose Earthquakes as an Account Executive position in Group Sales.

 

Ashley Salem: After spending a year as an Athletics Communications Fellow, Ashley Salem, a former Aggie water polo player, will pursue a Creative Writing MA at the University of Nottingham while playing for their back-to-back championship winning water polo team in the United Kingdom.  “This season Ashley stepped into an important role in the communications department,” said Director of Athletic Communications David Collins. “She quickly learned new skills in a fast-paced environment, while maintaining a positive outlook every day. Her time as MC at water polo matches added to the great atmosphere at Schaal Aquatics Center and football’s home games would not have run smoothly without her hard work. We will miss her in the communications office.” 

Laura Tran: Former Aggie student athlete Laura Tran played lacrosse at UC Davis before earning her degree in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior. Keeping close to the field, she rolled her Aggie pride into the ICA Events and Facilities fellowship position; trusted with game-day setup and operations across a multitude of sports. “We appreciate hiring former UC Davis student athletes,” said Senior Associate Athletics Director, Facilities, Operations, and Capital Projects Maggie Fenton. “Their passion for the Aggies combined with their work ethic gives an immediate boost to the organization’s culture.” 

 

Connor Marohn: Joining the UC Davis Athletics development office at the start of the 2024-25 season, Connor Marohn made an immediate impact on several different departments. Working with both external and internal pieces, Marohn spent the year building strong relationships across UC Davis athletics and the fans and alum that help the Aggies achieve athletic success. “Connor has been a great addition to the development team this year,” said Senior Associate Athletics Director, Chief Development Office Liz Gullett. “He jumped right in taking on a variety of roles to help communicate and steward our donors as well as provide support at Team Aggie events.”

 

3) Donor Impact | Endowment Dinner

 

On May 14 UC Davis athletics hosted its annual Endowment Celebration at the ARC Ballroom, a great event that brings together student athletes and the donors that have played important roles during their time at Davis.

 

This year, close to 100 donors, student-athletes, coaches and members of the senior administration were in attendance with the entire event being hosted by Director of Athletics Rocko DeLuca

 

UC Davis athletics holds 76 endowments supporting grant-in-aid scholarships, programmatic needs and three coaching positions.

 

During the evening, student athletes and donors connected to share stories about how endowments and support of UC Davis athletics has impacted them positively. Providing opportunities to compete at the Division I level while also gaining an education from one of the top schools in the world.

 


Speakers during the event included Jamey Wright and Hodgens Family Director of Women’s Water Polo Kandace Waldthaler and former Aggie Jenn Thatcher O’Reilly. O’Reilly spoke about a new award her donations have gone towards, with the Jenn Thatcher ’88 Women’s Cross-Country award now available to assist future Aggies.
 
“The endowment dinner is always a special evening because it’s one of the few chances we get to connect donors directly with student-athletes,” said Gullett. “We not only use this opportunity to show how wonderful our student-athletes are to the people who support them, but we use this as an educational opportunity for our student-athletes to teach them about networking and etiquette in real time.
 
“At the end of the night, it is so great to see donors leaving feeling proud of UC Davis and the student-athletes gaining a better understanding of the support system they have around each of them.”
 
4) In The Community | 16th Annual Art of Athletes
 
During this past quarter the Manetti Shrem Museum hosted the 16th annual showcase of “Art of Athletes”, an inspiring platform for student-athletes to display their creative talents off the fields, courts and pools of competition.
 
This year Jailen Burrell, a senior on the men’s track and field team and art major, coordinated the showcase which focused on “Athletic Aesthetics”.
 
Over 20 Aggie student athletes participated in the showcase, with over 50 art pieces being shown to friends, family and the Davis community. The pieces hammered home how talented and fully rounded Aggie student athletes are with those creative skills on full display.
 
Women’s basketball senior Mazatlan Harris has been part of the showcase for years and always looks forward to a chance to show off to others how she is more than just a basketball player. “I have a beautiful and intricate mind that expresses itself through art,” said Harris. “It makes me feel valuable and seen as more than I am.” 

Throughout the night guests were treated to a captivating array of artwork that spanned from painting and drawings to photography and videography. Each piece spoke volumes of the vision and voice of each student athlete as they put themselves and their artistic vision on display.

 

“Corn-rose was a very special piece for me,” recalls Harris. “It expresses how black hair is something that can be seen as beautiful in any form. The style, history, and pattern are beautiful.”

 

As the evening ended, student-athlete advisor Leo Lamanna expressed gratitude to the Manetti Shrem Museum for once again hosting the event while commending Burrell on his work coordinating this year’s showcase.

 

Walking out the door, attendees took with them the memories of captivating artwork but also a peek into the creative side of UC Davis student athletes.

 

5) Aggies In Competition | Total Award Numbers

 

During the 2024-25 season, UC Davis brought in many team and individual awards, sending several teams to the NCAA National Championships while earning many All-American and All-Conference honorees.

This past season UC Davis …
 
Qualified four teams for the NCAA National Championship
– Men’s Soccer
– Football
– Gymnastics
– Women’s Golf
 
The Aggies had …
 
13 All-Americans
89 Individual All-Conference winners
Three Conference Athlete of the Year Awards
10 All-Regions Athletes
Seven Individual National Championship qualifiers
One Conference Tournament team title
288 Academic All-Conference honorees
22 National Academic honorees
Eight CSC Academic All-District honorees
 





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Devin Jones and Avery McKinnon Set to Compete at USATF U20 Outdoor Championships

Story Links NASHVILLE – Two rising sophomores Devin Jones and Avery McKinnon from the Tennessee State University men’s track and field program will take the national stage this week at the USATF U20 Outdoor Championships, held June 18–25 in Eugene, Oregon. Jones, a middle-distance standout, will compete in the 800 meter following an impressive […]

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NASHVILLE – Two rising sophomores Devin Jones and Avery McKinnon from the Tennessee State University men’s track and field program will take the national stage this week at the USATF U20 Outdoor Championships, held June 18–25 in Eugene, Oregon.

Jones, a middle-distance standout, will compete in the 800 meter following an impressive outdoor campaign. He posted a personal-best time of 1:51.04 at the Georgia Tech Invitational in April and has demonstrated steady progression throughout the season. His spring resume includes times of 1:53.18 at the Music City Challenge and 1:54.03 at the OVC Outdoor Championships.

McKinnon will compete in the triple jump, entering the national meet with a season-best mark of 14.99m (49′ 2.25″), recorded at the OVC Outdoor Championships. He also notched strong performances at the Georgia Tech Invitational (14.37m) and the Music City Challenge (13.94m), highlighting both his consistency and growth potential.

The USATF U20 Outdoor Championships serve as the selection meet for the World Athletics U20 Championships, providing top finishers the opportunity to represent Team USA on the international stage.



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Ohio State women’s volleyball ready for new era of revenue sharing

OSU volleyball coach Jen Flynn Oldenburg discusses revenue sharing Ohio State women’s volleyball players will receive revenue sharing payments. Coach Jen Flyn Oldenburg discusses. (Video courtesy of OSU Athletics) Ohio State Athletics Ohio State women’s volleyball is now one of four Buckeye sports receiving revenue-sharing payments. Coach Jen Flynn Oldenburg plans to use the funds […]

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  • Ohio State women’s volleyball is now one of four Buckeye sports receiving revenue-sharing payments.
  • Coach Jen Flynn Oldenburg plans to use the funds strategically to improve the team’s competitiveness and recruit top talent.
  • While financial incentives are key, Oldenburg emphasizes the importance of team culture and values in building a winning program.

In describing herself, Jen Flynn Oldenburg said she’s not one to over-promise. But before, there was uncertainty. Now she knows exactly what she can promise her players next year.

The Ohio State alumnae is entering her sixth season as women’s volleyball coach, and she has been building a roster she hopes will climb back toward the top of the Big Ten standings and into national championship contention. Aiding in that effort, the women’s volleyball program is one of four sports at Ohio State that will start receiving revenue-sharing payments.

“We have a plan in place,” Oldenburg said. “It’s not locked in stone, and I think we can be creative with it, and that’s the exciting part of this year.”

The planning started even before it became obvious that three antitrust cases against the NCAA and major conferences were heading toward a settlement. That finally happened in early June. For the last year, the women’s volleyball program has been preparing for its inclusion with football, men’s basketball and women’s basketball.

“Volleyball’s big in the Big Ten, and in order to compete, you have to compete with the big dogs,” she said. “By saying we’re one of the four at Ohio State to be part of the revenue share, we’re going to compete with the big dogs in volleyball.”

It wasn’t until June 12, when Ohio State athletic director Ross Bjork made the announcement, that the public learned which four programs would receive a share of the school’s $18 million in annual revenue-sharing payments. Bjork has declined to specify how much each program will receive and said that each coach will be responsible for deciding how to distribute their money to players.

Oldenburg said recent recruiting decisions were made with this new financial reality in mind and, to start out with, her roster’s payments will be “incentive-based.”

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See Ohio State athletic director Ross Bjork discuss new NIL era

Ohio State athletic director Ross Bjork discusses changes to the collegiate sports landscape in this June 12, 2025 press conference.

“We don’t know what the future looks like,” she said. “This is something new, and it could change … so to be able to be flexible but understand that we have the support of the administration, I think we’re in a great spot.”

Penn State won the 2024 national championship. Nebraska was the runner-up the year prior. Wisconsin won it all in 2021. Nine of the last 12 title games have featured a Big Ten team.

Ohio State has 15 top-three Big Ten finishes since the league went away from divisions in 1985. Two of those are with Oldenburg as coach. However, the team finished 13th last year and 10th the year before.

Bjork said that Oldenburg “is working on a plan to get us back on track.” Financial assistance is expected to play a role in that.

“We think, with the attention that our program can receive, we think the Columbus market, volleyball is a booming sport,” Bjork said. “The Covelli Center is an amazing atmosphere. So we thought volleyball could be a sport that could drive more revenue, but also the attention that it gets within the Big Ten.”

While the money will certainly help, Oldenburg said building a sustained winner will require more than just financial compensation. That was reflected in this year’s roster, which relies on graduate transfers who won’t occupy long-term roster spots, allowing coaches to target 2026 and 2027 recruits.

“This roster is based on our values, our culture, where we’re headed, where we want to go,” she said. “I would say that this team is hungry to get back on the court, and it’s not driven by money. And even in the future, as athletes are getting paid more than they are now, I still hope that’s the culture that we maintain because I think in the long run that’s going to win matches.”

From 1996-99, Oldenburg was a decorated player for the women’s volleyball program. At that time, she said, if you borrowed a pen as a student-athlete, you had to be sure to return it lest the instrument be labeled as an impermissible benefit in the eyes of the NCAA. Now, as a coach, she will be the first in program history to be able to pay her players with funds given directly by the university.

Reflecting on that path brought a glimmer of tears to her eyes.

“Championships are on our mind,” she said. “Big Ten, national championship, we want to be in contention, and to have the support financially to be able to do that and get the players in the right spot, it means the world because that means the expectations are to be elite and that’s not just mine, but it’s an administration.

“Knowing the support is there is huge.”

Sports reporter Adam Jardy can be reached at ajardy@dispatch.com, on Bluesky at @cdadamjardy.bsky.social or on Twitter at @AdamJardy.



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Men’s Golf’s Hunter and Johnson Earn CSC Academic All-District

Story Links WILLIAMSBURG, Va.—William & Mary men’s golf’s Logan Hunter and Max Johnson earned At-Large College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District honors for their efforts in the classroom and on the course during their final year of eligibility this past season. The CSC announced the recipients this week.   The 2025 Academic […]

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WILLIAMSBURG, Va.—William & Mary men’s golf’s Logan Hunter and Max Johnson earned At-Large College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District honors for their efforts in the classroom and on the course during their final year of eligibility this past season. The CSC announced the recipients this week.
 
The 2025 Academic All-District At-Large Teams recognize the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances in their sport and in the classroom.
 
To be nominated, a student-athlete must participate in a minimum percentage of games/events with at least a 3.50 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) and be at least a sophomore academically and athletically. Each institution is limited to six nominees for the at-large categories, which includes beach volleyball, bowling, crew/rowing, fencing, field hockey, golf, gymnastics, ice hockey, lacrosse, rifle, skiing, and water polo.
 
Hunter ended his college career with the Tribe as the program record holder for career rounds played with 117. The Tampa, Fla. native also wrapped his time in green and gold with a career scoring average of 74.35, ninth best in school history. Hunter set the program record for rounds of par or better in a single season with 15 in 2022-23 and his 33 career rounds of par or better are second best in program history.
 
Johnson joined the Tribe as graduate transfer from the 2024 national champion Auburn Tigers and played in all 29 rounds for the Tribe this past season with 26 counting scores. The Fairhope, Ala. native posted seven rounds of par or better, the second most on the squad, and his scoring average of 74.37 was also second on the team.
 



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